Final hearing on abattoir project at Jowai held
SHILLONG: The Assembly Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday quizzed the officials of the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department on the bye-species mechanized abattoir project at Jowai during the final hearing.
“During the questioning of the officials of the department, we have oral evidence that the former director of the department has released the mobility funds upto 30 percent instead of 10 percent to the Chennai-based consortium and its local partner Rishan Rapsang,” PAC member Paul Lyngdoh told newsmen after completing the hearing.
According to Lyngdoh, the department had released a total amount of Rs 1.81 crore as mobility amount which is highly questionable.
He further said that the firm was supposed to deposit 10 percent of the Rs 7.75 crore, which is total cost of the project.
“But surprisingly the firm was allowed to pay only Rs 2 lakh as security deposit. This clearly shows that the firm was given undue favour,” the PAC member said.
Lyngdoh also said that the project was supposed to be completed within 12 months after it was allotted on September 2012.
He further said that he PAC was more concerned with the amount already paid which was not utilized for more than two and half years.
“The construction period of the abattoir has lapsed if it is taken from the legal perspective. The PAC viewed with serious concern that the department did not bother to follow up the matter with the consortium to protect its own interest, interest of public fund and interest of the project itself which is dereliction of duty on the part of the department,” he said.
Lyngdoh recalled that the spot inspection revealed work done so far is the construction of a shed worth Rs 4 to 5 lakh and installation of the transformer worth Rs 4.5 lakh adding that the department had so far spent a total amount of Rs 8.5 lakh out of the total 1.81 crore.